the crystal stopper-第9章

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〃How　can　I　help　it；　you　dear　old　Victoire？*　　When　I　want　a　person　of　respectable　appearance　and　incorruptible　morals；　I　think　of　you。　　You　ought　to　be　flattered。〃　　　________________________________________________________________________

*See　The　Hollow　Needle　by　Maurice　Leblanc；　translated　by　Alexander　Teixeira　de　Mattos；　and　later　volumes　of　the　Lupin　series。　________________________________________________________________________　　

〃That's　all　you　care　about　me！〃　she　cried。　　〃You　run　me　into　danger　once　more；　and　you　think　it's　funny！〃

　　　　　〃What　are　you　risking？〃　〃How　do　you　mean；　what　am　I　risking？　　All　my　characters　are　false。〃

〃Characters　are　always　false。〃

〃And　suppose　M。　Daubrecq　finds　out？　　Suppose　he　makes　inquiries？〃

〃He　has　made　inquiries。〃

〃Eh？　What's　that？〃

〃He　has　telephoned　to　the　steward　of　Comte　Saulevat；　in　whose　service　you　say　that　you　have　had　the　honour　of　being。〃

〃There；　you　see；　I'm　done　for！〃

〃The　count's　steward　could　not　say　enough　in　your　praise。〃

〃He　does　not　know　me。〃

〃But　I　know　him。　　I　got　him　his　situation　with　Comte　Saulevat。　　So　you　　understand。。。　〃

Victoire　seemed　to　calm　down　a　little：

〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃God's　will　be　done。。。　or　rather　yours。　　And　what　do　you　expect　me　to　do　in　all　this？〃

〃First；　to　put　me　up。　　You　were　my　wet…nurse　once。　　You　can　very　well　give　me　half　your　room　now。　　I'll　sleep　in　the　armchair。〃

〃And　next？〃

〃Next？　　To　supply　me　with　such　food　as　I　want。〃

〃And　next？〃

〃Next？　　To　undertake；　with　me　and　under　my　direction；　a　regular　series　of　searches　with　a　view。。。　〃

〃To　what？〃

〃To　discovering　the　precious　object　of　which　I　spoke　to　you。〃

〃What's　that？〃

〃A　crystal　stopper。〃

〃A　crystal　stopper。。。　Saints　above！　　A　nice　business！　　And；　if　we　don't　find　your　confounded　stopper；　what　then？〃

Lupin　took　her　gently　by　the　arm　and；　in　a　serious　voice：

〃If　we　don't　find　it；　Gilbert；　young　Gilbert　whom　you　know　and　love；　will　stand　every　chance　of　losing　his　head；　and　so　will　Vaucheray。〃

〃Vaucheray　I　don't　mind。。。　a　dirty　rascal　like　him！　　But　Gilbert。。。　〃

〃Have　you　seen　the　papers　this　evening？　　Things　are　looking　worse　than　ever。　　Vaucheray；　as　might　be　expected；　accuses　Gilbert　of　stabbing　the　valet；　and　it　so　happens　that　the　knife　which　Vaucheray　used　belonged　to　Gilbert。　　That　came　out　this　morning。　　Whereupon　Gilbert；　who　is　intelligent　in　his　way；　but　easily　frightened；　blithered　and　launched　forth　into　stories　and　lies　which　will　end　in　his　undoing。　　That's　how　the　matter　stands。　　Will　you　help　me？〃

Thenceforth；　for　several　days；　Lupin　moulded　his　existence　upon　Daubrecq's；　beginning　his　investigations　the　moment　the　deputy　left　the　house。　　He　pursued　them　methodically；　dividing　each　room　into　sections　which　he　did　not　abandon　until　he　had　been　through　the　tiniest　nooks　and　corners　and；　so　to　speak；　exhausted　every　possible　device。

Victoire　searched　also。　　And　nothing　was　forgotten。　　Table…legs；　chair…rungs；　floor…boards；　mouldings；　mirror…　and　picture…frames；　clocks；　plinths；　curtain…borders；　telephone…holders　and　electric　fittings：　everything　that　an　ingenious　imagination　could　have　selected　as　a　hiding…place　was　overhauled。

And　they　also　watched　the　deputy's　least　actions；　his　most　unconscious　movements；　the　expression　of　his　face；　the　books　which　he　read　and　the　letters　which　he　wrote。

It　was　easy　enough。　　He　seemed　to　live　his　life　in　the　light　of　day。　　No　door　was　ever　shut。　　He　received　no　visits。　　And　his　existence　worked　with　mechanical　regularity。　　He　went　to　the　Chamber　in　the　afternoon；　to　the　club　in　the　evening。

〃Still；〃　said　Lupin；　〃there　must　be　something　that's　not　orthodox　behind　all　this。〃

〃There's　nothing　of　the　sort；〃　moaned　Victoire。　　〃You're　wasting　your　time　and　we　shall　be　bowled　out。〃

　The　presence　of　the　detectives　and　their　habit　of　walking　up　and　down　outside　the　windows　drove　her　mad。　　She　refused　to　admit　that　they　were　there　for　any　other　purpose　than　to　trap　her；　Victoire。　　And；　each　time　that　she　went　shopping；　she　was　quite　surprised　that　one　of　those　men　did　not　lay　his　hand　upon　her　shoulder。

One　day　she　returned　all　upset。　　Her　basket　of　provisions　was　shaking　on　her　arm。

〃What's　the　matter；　my　dear　Victoire？〃　said　Lupin。　　〃You're　looking　green。〃

〃Green？　　I　dare　say　I　do。　　So　would　you　look　green。。。　〃

She　had　to　sit　down　and　it　was　only　after　making　repeated　efforts　that　she　succeeded　in　stuttering：

〃A　man。。。　a　man　spoke　to　me。。。　at　the　fruiterer's。〃

〃By　jingo！　　Did　he　want　you　to　run　away　with　him？〃

〃No；　he　gave　me　a　letter。。。　〃

〃Then　what　are　you　complaining　about？　　It　was　a　love…letter；　of　course！〃

〃No。　'It's　for　your　governor；'　said　he。　　'My　governor？'　I　said。　　'Yes；'　he　said；　'for　the　gentleman　who's　staying　in　your　room。'〃

〃What's　that？〃

This　time；　Lupin　had　started：

〃Give　it　here；〃　he　said；　snatching　the　letter　from　her。　　The　envelope　bore　no　address。　　But　there　was　another；　inside　it；　on　which　he　read：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Monsieur　Arsene　Lupin；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃c/o　Victoire。〃


〃The　devil！〃　he　said。　　〃This　is　a　bit　thick！〃　　He　tore　open　the　second　envelope。　　It　contained　a　sheet　of　paper　with　the　following　words；　written　in　large　capitals：

　　　　　〃Everything　you　are　doing　is　useless　and　dangerous。。。　Give　it　up。〃

Victoire　uttered　one　moan　and　fainted。　　As　for　Lupin；　he　felt　himself　blush　up　to　his　eyes；　as　though　he　had　been　grossly　insulted。　　He　experienced　all　the　humiliation　which　a　duellist　would　undergo　if　he　heard　the　most　secret　advice　which　he　had　received　from　his　seconds　repeated　aloud　by　a　mocking　adversary。

However；　he　held　his　tongue。　　Victoire　went　back　to　her　work。　　As　for　him；　he　remained　in　his　room　all　day；　thinking。

That　night　he　did　not　sleep。

And　he　kept　saying　to　himself：

〃What　is　the　good　of　thinking？　　I　am　up　against　one　of　those　problems　which　are　not　solved　by　any　amount　of　thought。　　It　is　certain　that　I　am　not　alone　in　the　matter　and　that；　between　Daubrecq　and　the　police；　there　is；　in　addition　to　the　third　thief　that　I　am；　a　fourth　thief　who　is　working　on　his　own　account；　who　knows　me　and　who　reads　my　game　clearly。　But　who　is　this　fourth　thief？　　And　am　I　mistaken；　by　any　chance？　　And。。。　　oh；　rot！。。。　Let's　get　to　sleep！。。。　〃

But　he　could　not　sleep；　and　a　good　part　of　the　night　went　in　this　way。

At　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　he　seemed　to　hear　a　noise　in　the　house。　He　jumped　up　quickly　and；　from　the　top　of　the　staircase；　saw　Daubrecq　go　down　the　first　flight　and　turn　toward　the　garden。

A　minute　later；　after　opening　the　gate；　the　deputy　returned　with　a　man　whose　head　was　buried　in　an　enormous　fur　collar　and　showed　him　into　his　study。

Lupin　had　taken　his　precautions　in　view　of　any　such　contingency。　　As　the　windows　of　the　study　and　those　of　his　bedroom；　both　of　which　were　at　the　back　of　the　house；　overlooked　the　garden；　he　fastened　a　rope…ladder　to　his　balcony；　unrolled　it　softly　and　let　himself　down　by　it　until　it　was　level　with　the　top　of　the　study　windows。

These　windows　were　closed　by　shutters；　but；　as　they　were　bowed；　there　remained　a　semi…circular　space　at　the　top；　and　Lupin；　though　he　could　not　hear；　was　able　to　see　all　that　went　on　inside。

He　then　realized　that　the　person　whom　he　had　taken　for　a　man　was　a　woman：　a　woman　who　was　still　young；　though　her　dark　hair　was　mingled　with　gray；　a　tall　woman；　elegantly　but　quite　unobtrusively　dressed；　whose　handsome　features　bore　the　expression　of　weariness　and　melancholy　which　long　suffering　gives。

〃Where　the　deuce　have　I　seen　her　before？〃　Lupin　asked　himself。　　〃For　I　certainly　know　that　face；　that　look；　that　expression。〃

She　stood　leaning　against　the　table；　listening　impassively　to　Daubrecq；　who　was　also　standing　and　who　was　talking　very　excitedly。　　He　had　his　back　turned　to　Lupin；　but　Lupin；　leaning　forward；　caught　sight　of　a　glass　in　which　the　deputy's　image　was　reflected。　　And　he　was　startled　to　see　the　strange　look　in　his　eyes；　the　air　of　fierce　and　brutal　desire　with　which　Daubrecq　was　staring　at　his　visitor。

It　seemed　to　embarrass　her　too；　for　she　sat　down　with　lowered　lids。　Then　Daubrecq　leant　over　her　and　it　appeared　as　though　he　were　ready　to　fling　his　long　a